As soon as an artist experiences success with their debut album, the shadow of the dreaded "sophomore slump" starts swirling on the horizon. In the 1990s, however, there were quite a few second album smashes that showed just how defiantly that curse can crumble under rarified musical talent, mastercraft songwriting and record-breaking runs at the top of the charts. Throughout the pre-millennium decade, Nirvana and A Tribe Called Quest delivered undeniable game changers with Nevermind and Low End Theory, TLC and Oasis more than doubled the achievements of their multi-platinum debuts with CrazySexyCool and (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?, and Boyz II Men achieved inescapable pop culture ubiquity with their 12x platinum-selling, multiple record-breaking, triple GRAMMY Award-winning album, II, which celebrates its 25th anniversary milestone this month. 

Spearheaded by the strength of a pair of Billboard number one singles ("I'll Make Love To You" and "On Bended Knee") and a Billboard number two chaser ("Water Runs Dry"), II debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 album chart, maintained a solid five-week run at the top spot and ended up staying on the charts for just shy of two full years. A couple months before the release of II, the Philly foursome offered up the Babyface-penned "I'll Make Love to You" as the album's lead single and the steamy ballad had radio and MTV on absolute lockdown during the late summer of 1994. "I'll Make Love to You" ended up eventually tying the record for the most weeks at number one by matching Whitney Houston's 14-week stretch of "I Will Always Love You" from The Bodyguard. 

The group’s unparalleled vocal harmonies and the impossible-not-to-sing-along-with chorus of "I'll Make Love To You" might’ve been enough to surpass Houston's record if only they hadn’t been knocked out of the top spot by… the album's second single, "On Bended Knee." By December, the summer sizzler handed the crown over to the winter weeper as Boyz II Men became only the third musical act of all-time to replace themselves at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 (only Elvis Presley and The Beatles had achieved it before them). To look back on these astounding achievements and to commemorate 25 years of II, The Recording Academy spoke with Boyz II Men's Wanya Morris and Nathan Morris about what all went into making their second album such an immediate and long-lasting success.               

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Wanya Morris: After the success of our first album, it felt like a lot of people were starting to realize that Boyz II Men was a force to be reckoned with. Our voices and our harmonies were evolving and becoming more mature. That allowed us to try new things and people were really receptive to our creativity. It seemed like we couldn’t go anywhere without being recognized. I remember walking down the street near Yodoyabashi Station in Osaka and people would run up to us and yell out our names. It felt so huge because in our minds, we were just four dudes from Philly.        

Nathan Morris: For me, it was all a whirlwind because singing wasn’t really my first choice for a career. I grew up wanting to play professional football, but my mom pushed me into going to a performing arts school. That’s actually the whole reason why there’s even a Boyz II Men at all. I got bored at school, so I just started a singing group in my spare time. Everything that was happening for us as Boyz II Men wasn’t really anything that I had ever dreamed of or expected. So, I was just taking everything in as it came, enjoying it, and trying to soak it all up.

Following the massive success of their debut album, Cooleyhighharmony, and its pair of Top 5 singles ("Motownphilly" and their cover of G. C. Cameron's "It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday"), Boyz II Men's doo-wop-meets-New Jack Swing-meets-hip-hop musical hybrid and their relentless work ethic were all on full display during a frenzied pop culture blitz that included opening for M.C. Hammer's 2 Legit 2 Quit tour, filming an episode of MTV Unplugged with Joe Public and Shanice, earning a Top 5 standalone single with their cover of "In the Still of the Night (I Remember)," appearing in the holiday episode "Twas the Night Before Christening" on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and recording the double-platinum holiday album Christmas Interpretations (featuring the seasonal radio hit "Let It Snow" with Brian McKnight). During this crucial between-albums timeframe, they also scored their first number one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 with "End Of The Road" from the Boomerang soundtrack. At the time, "End of the Road" broke the record for longevity at the top of the charts with its impressive 13-week run. It would be the first of three times that Boyz II Men were a part of achieving this notable accolade.

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Nathan Morris: Going into the second album, our confidence level was pretty high. Motown didn't really know what to do with us when they signed us, so we got to write almost the whole first album by ourselves. Since that album went nine times platinum, that gave us a lot of confidence as writers and producers going into the second album.

Wanya Morris: Honestly, it was a pretty hectic time. Things had gotten so big with the first album and then "End Of The Road" came out and blew up. We were really feeling the pressure, but the process had to start somewhere. So, we just did what we always do, which is get in the studio and start writing songs and recording demos. 

Nathan Morris: Dallas Austin had produced most of our first album, but he wasn’t available for the second album. So, he recommended we try working with Tim & Bob, who were kind of his B-team. We got in the studio with them and started working on a bunch of the songs that we felt good about. We clicked really well, so Tim & Bob ended up producing most of the songs on the second album.

Wanya Morris: I first met Tim & Bob when I worked on a song called "One More Try" for Another Bad Creation's second album. I traveled to Atlanta to work with them and we ended up hanging out and kicking it almost that whole summer, just writing songs and recording demos. I brought those songs back to the guys and our A&R team and it was decided that we should all fly out to Atlanta to work with them. That’s where the bulk of the songs on the second album came from.                 

Alongside working with Tim & Bob for most of the recording of what would become II, Boyz II Men's chart-topping success also earned them the opportunity to craft a couple of songs with some of the most celebrated producers in the business—Midas-touch hitmaker Babyface ("I'll Make Love To You" and "Water Runs Dry") and the legendary dream team of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis ("On Bended Knee" and "All Around The World").     

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Nathan Morris: Getting to work with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis? Man, we were just such big fans of theirs ever since we were kids. We were praying we could get them on the album, so we were really excited to get to work with them.

Wanya Morris: Jam and Lewis are artist-producers, so their first move was trying to gauge our musical capabilities. For "On Bended Knee," we were with them a whole day, but we hadn’t heard anything because they wouldn’t let us inside of the studio while they were recording the instrumental tracks! After they finished the music, we knocked the vocals out so quick that they decided to try for a second song with us. That’s how we ended up writing "All Around The World" with them. They could feel our synergy and trusted us enough to just let us do what we do. 

Nathan Morris: After "End Of The Road," we were really excited to work with Babyface again. It just made so much sense to do a couple more songs with him for the second album. We really loved "I'll Make Love to You" for the album, but we also wanted to try different things for our singles. In the grand scheme of artistry, that’s your thinking. But in the grand scheme of record sales, when you go multi-platinum with something, you’re expected to make another one. So, we had a bit of a dilemma when it came time to pick the lead single for II.

Wanya Morris: We actually fought really hard against having "I'll Make Love to You" be the lead single. We had just come off of "End Of The Road" and we didn’t want to come back with a song that had the same sound. Our label was adamant about it though. They did all this market research and we were just researching our hearts, so we were told to deal with it. Clearly, they were right on that one!

After the release of II, Boyz II Men became certified global superstars. The album achieved multi-platinum sales in Canada and Australia, and it hit the top of the album charts in France and New Zealand. In fact, international demand was so high for the blockbuster album that the gifted vocalists upped their game by rerecording the album’s three big hits and their acapella cover of The Beatles' "Yesterday" in Spanish for a special version of the album called II: Yo Te Voy a Amar. As had become their signature move, the guys had no problem rising to the challenge and possibly even outdoing themselves in the process.    

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Nathan Morris: Recording those tracks in Spanish wasn’t really that difficult since we had already learned a bit of it in school. We had a producer, K. C. Porter, that translated everything for us and helped us with proper annunciation. One thing that we did notice is that singing in Spanish is a lot easier than singing in English. The English language is a bit choppy and Spanish is smoother and more legato in nature. I think some of our songs sound even better in Spanish than they do in English.  

Wanya Morris: When it came time to do the second album songs in Spanish, it wasn’t really that hard because the songs already existed. We just had to emulate the vocal intensity of the rewritten lyrics. We only performed live in Spanish one time and it wasn’t even one of those songs. We actually did "End Of The Road" live for Telemundo. After that, we didn’t do it again!

At a time when memorable music videos were just as important as radio hits, Boyz II Men were MTV mainstays by consistently delivering cinematic gold. Having such good chemistry with director Lionel C. Martin on their first music videos for "Motownphilly," "It’s So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday," "Uhh Ahh," "End Of The Road" and "Let It Snow," they continued the creative partnership through the music videos for II’s "I’ll Make Love To You," "Thank You" and "On Bended Knee," the latter of which saw the bandmembers getting to act alongside their hand-pick childhood crushes.

Wanya Morris: We each got to request our own partners for the "On Bended Knee" music video and I chose Lark Voorhies from Saved By The Bell. We were guys, so we were all trying to holler at them all day. I’m not going to lie, it was really cool and really fun getting to shoot that video. 

Nathan Morris: We all got to pick a couple names of who we wanted them to reach out to and luckily I got my first pick. I choose Kim Fields because I was a big fan of Facts Of Life. At the time, I was in a relationship and we ended up having a big fight about me being in the video. It was great though. We shot it in New Orleans and I think it was a three-day shoot. Between that one and "Water Runs Dry," those are my two favorites music videos that we’ve ever done.   

As the trajectory of the band's career continued to skyrocket on the back of II, the following year found the vocal giants collaborating on a trio of top-tier releases: Michael Jackson’s HIStory, LL Cool J’s Mr. Smith, and Mariah Carey’s Daydream. Their duet with Carey, the massively popular "One Sweet Day," hit number one on December 2, 1995 and firmly reigned there until March 23, 1996. Its astounding 16-week stay not only marked the third time that Boyz II Men had tied or broken the record for longest-running number one single, but it was also strong enough to remain as a record all the way up until earlier this year when Lil Nas X’s surprise smash "Old Town Road" landed at number one for a combined 19 weeks (the first week as a solo artist and then 18 weeks with the Billy Ray Cyrus version).   

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Nathan Morris: The Lil Nas X thing is surprising because we’re in this fast food entertainment society where you need something new every four seconds. You wouldn’t think that something would stick around that long, but the good songs do. There have been some other really great songs in the last few years that I thought should’ve broken the record, but "Old Town Road" was the one to do it. 

Wanya Morris: I think it helps that there’s not so much of a "big stage" competition nowadays. Everyone is more of an individual. Plus, there are more things out today that help your music get heard. We didn't have Instagram. The internet was just a baby back then. If we wanted to reach a million people, we had to go on the road and touch a million people. Nowadays, people can just click a button and reach all of their social media followers at once, who in turn can reach all of their followers, and you can quickly get in a zone that’ll start promoting you to people who don’t know who you are.

The part about the Lil Nas X thing that makes sense to me is that it’s a black man singing country music, it sparked some controversy because they didn’t want to let him in, then the LGBTQ community embraced it towards the end and it really became a phenomenon. It’s a good song but it became a huge record because it was relatable. Everybody could sing it, everybody could dance to it, and it became one of those things that allowed people to hear and experience something new.

Nathan Morris: It’s a weird time. Music is changing so fast. You don’t have those multi-year cycles of popularity. Audience tastes seem to change every month. For us, it’s really nice to have three of the top five records for longevity at number one, but we understand that records are made to be broken. We broke the records of Elvis and The Beatles, so we totally get it. 

'Pronounced Jah-Nay' At 25: Zhané's Renée Neufville & Jean Norris Look Back On Their Classic R&B Debut

After releasing a debut album that went nine-times platinum, spawned a record-equaling 13-week chart-topper, and pioneered a new subgenre (remember hip-hop doo-wop?), Boyz II Men could have been forgiven for resting on their laurels for LP number two. Instead, they made a concerted attempt to go even bigger and better.

Indeed, celebrating its 30th anniversary on Aug. 30, the simplistically titled II was precision-tooled into becoming the ultimate R&B heavyweight of the '90s. "I personally came up with the name because I wanted people to know that this is a continuation of the first record, like a sequel to a movie or something like that," singer Shawn Stockman later revealed to Billboard in 2019.

Bandmate Nathan Morris was just as laser-focused on maintaining a stranglehold on the top of the charts, continually perusing sales figures across the world to work out how they could corner certain markets. Their seminal record label, Motown, meanwhile, even used market research to ensure that fans got what they wanted to hear, resulting in a collection of slick soulful ballads which utilized the vocal quartet's impressive harmonies like never before.

Such meticulousness paid off when II ended up surpassing its predecessor in sales, chart records, and general critical acclaim. And Wanya Morris believes it's more than worthy, recently telling Billboard, "If you want an example of what music is, we want the definition in an encyclopedia or on the internet or in any dictionary to be the II album."

In honor of II's 30th anniversary, here's a look at how the trio (and former memberMichael McCary, of course), lived up to all their blockbuster talk.

It Achieved Three Remarkable Chart Feats

Boyz II Men were such a chart juggernaut in the mid-'90s that they joined an exclusive club populated only by the Beatles! Indeed, the quartet became only the second ever act to replace themselves at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 when "On Bended Knee" dethroned "I'll Make Love To You" in September 1994. This was the first such instance since the Fab Four's "Can't Buy Me Love" toppled "She Loves You" 30 years previously (in the years since, 12 more acts including Taylor Swift and Drake have also achieved the feat).

This wasn't the only time the Philadelphians essentially became their own rivals, either. Their 14-week run atop the Hot 100 of "I'll Make Love To You" surpassed the 13-week stint enjoyed by "End of the Road" two years earlier. As a result, the group not only set the record for longest Hot 100 reign at the time, but they also became the first artist to achieve two consecutive No. 1s with double-figure spells.

It Made GRAMMY History 

Boyz II Men looked like they'd soon run out of space in their trophy cabinet when they won the Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal GRAMMY for the third time in four years. The vocal troupe first picked up the coveted gong in 1992 for Cooleyhighharmony, and then 12 months later for its lead single "End of the Road." And while their winning streak was interrupted by Sade's "No Ordinary Love" in 1994, they soon reclaimed the trophy in 1995 thanks to "I'll Make Love To You."

The four-piece also made GRAMMY history that same ceremony when they became the inaugural victors of the Best R&B Album Category. II triumphed overAnita Baker's Rhythm of Love,Tevin Campbell's I'm Ready,Gladys Knight's Just for You,Me'Shell NdegéOcello's Plantation Lulllabies, andLuther Vandross' Songs. But despite a further eight GRAMMY nods, this remains their last victory.

It Boasts The Avengers Of '90s R&B Producers 

Boyz II Men initially planned to give Tim Kelley and Bob Robinson — the Illinois duo who'd later helm Top 10 smashes for Jon B, Sisqo and Tamia — the creative reins for II. But concerned the relative unknowns might not have the experience, Motown insisted on bringing in the big guns, too.

Tim and Bob did contribute to five tracks, including fifth single "Vibin'" and the tribute to late manager Roderick Rountree, "Khalil (Interlude)." But it was the more recognizable names that provided the monster hits, whether Janet Jackson cohorts Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis on "On Bended Knee," one-man hit factory Dallas Austin on "Thank You," or the four-time Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical GRAMMY winner Babyface on "I'll Make Love To You."

There was even room for mogulL.A. Reid ("I Sit Away"), Cooleyhighharmony contributors the Characters ("Jezzebel"), and croonerBrian McKnight (bonus track "Fallin'") to make their mark on a record whose credits read like a who's who of '90s R&B.

It Spawned A String Of Star-Studded Videos 

It wasn't just behind the scenes where Boyz II Men assembled a wealth of talent. The group also bagged a whole host of stars from both the small and big screen to give their music videos that extra bit of pizazz.

In "I'll Make Love to You," White Men Can't Jump actor Duane Martin plays the security installation engineer who essentially becomes amorous pen pals with his latest customer. Saved by the Bell's Lark Voorhies, Living Single's Kim Fields, and daytime soap opera stalwarts Victoria Rowell and Renée Jones all break up and then make up with their respective Boyz in "On Bended Knee." And the supermodel holding the band inside a crystal ball in "Water Runs Dry"? Well, that's none other than Tyra Banks.

The latter promo, which Morris once told GRAMMY.com was a personal favorite, also picked up Best Cinematography and Best R&B Video nods at the MTV VMAs.

Read More: Boyz II Men Celebrate 25 Years Of Their Masterstroke Second Album, 'II'  

It Was Also A Sales Behemoth 

II instantly became Boyz II Men's second No. 1 on the Billboard 200, and by Christmas of 1994, the album was posting weekly sales of nearly 300,000 copies. Little wonder, therefore, that it became the third biggest seller of 1994 (behind The Lion King soundtrack and Ace of Base's The Sign). In fact, it even ended up in the Top 10 best-sellers of the following year, too.  

By the end of its campaign, II had been awarded diamond status, making it one of the biggest selling R&B albums of all time. (Depending on how you categorizeMichael Jackson's Thriller and Bad andWhitney Houston's two eponymous LPs, it could even lay claim to being the biggest.) Its lead single, "I'll Make Love To You," also racked up impressive numbers, selling over 1.6 million copies during and after its lengthy residency at the top of the Hot 100.

It Spawned Two Spinoffs 

Boyz II Men were so determined to conquer the world with II that they even re-recorded several tracks in a completely different language. Yes, in an effort to reel in the Latin market, the vocal quartet gave their Beatles cover, "On Bended Knee" ("Me Rindo Ante Ti"), "I'll Make Love to You" ("Yo Te Voy A Amar") and "Water Runs Dry" ("No Dejemos Que Muera El Amor") the Spanish treatment for a bilingual special edition released a year after the original. The latter track even made No. 1 on Billboard's Latin Top 10 airplay chart.

Keen to strike while the iron was hot, Motown also issued a compilation featuring remixes of tracks from their first two albums, including a version of "Vibin'" featuring Busta Rhymes and Method Man. The Remix Collection, however, reportedly didn't receive the blessing of the band themselves, and their relationship with the iconic label was never the same again.

It Paved The Way For The Modern Boy Band Ballad  

While predecessor Cooleyhighharmony contained its fair share of air-grabbing, silky smooth, close harmony ballads (see "End of the Road"), it was II where Boyz II Men truly mastered the art. Alongside its first two singles, "50 Candles," "Fallin'" and "Trying Times" all crooned and swooned about love in a manner that had certain fans ready and willing to throw their undergarments on stage in appreciation.

And the new generation of boy bands who valued vocal ability as much as pin-up appeal were undoubtedly taking note. Listen to Backstreet Boys ("I'll Never Break Your Heart," "Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely"), NSYNC ("Drive Myself Crazy," "This I Promise You"), and 98 Degrees ("(I Do) Cherish You," "My Everything") in full-on serenade mode, and it's clear that II set the template.

Luckily, the group responsible were happy to pass the mantle on. As Stockman toldABC News at the peak of TRL, "As far as we're concerned, this is their era and this is their time."

It's Stood The Test Of Time 

The 2021 Netflix original series This Is Pop argued that Boyz II Men's impact on pop culture has been unfairly overlooked since their imperial phase came to an end. Yet, numerous artists — many of whom were still in diapers when they were regularly topping the charts — have borrowed from their sophomore set in recent years.

In 2018, for example, Drake sampled "Khalil (Interlude)" on Scorpion cut "March 14," while Swedish house maestro DJ Seinfeld's "With My Love" lifts vocal snatches from "Water Runs Dry." The latter has also been treated to full reinterpretations from singer/songwriter Jens Lekman in 2008 and cover version extraordinaire Kelly Clarkson in 2021. Meanwhile, Justin Bieber — who recruited the group for his festive 2011 album, Under the Mistletoe — put his spin on "I'll Make Love to You" during a 2015 gig at the W Hollywood Hotel.

And with its first two singles racking up 277 million and 163 million Spotify plays, respectively, II appears to be connecting, and reconnecting, in the streaming age, too.

When organizers of the inaugural Fool In Love festival first announced the event's lineup this spring, soul and R&B heads across the internet went nuts.

The reaction was to be expected: There hadn't been such an ambitious mix of GRAMMY-winning legends and young, popular soul acts on a shared bill in recent memory. And certainly not in a single-day event.

The Aug. 31 event will highlight six decades of soul, R&B and funk — proof that those sounds are anything but oldies. The sounds of the 1960s through the '80s and beyond will be well represented by headliners Diana Ross and Lionel Richie, as well as Smokey Robinson and a recently reunited Nile Rodgers and Chic. Sets by Dionne Warwick, 2024 Special Merit Award honoree Gladys Knight, and sweet soul legend Brenton Wood promise to turn up the heat, sweet and memories. 

A cadre of up-and-coming soul acts — many of whom call Southern California home — also appear high up on the lineup, highlighting a younger generation's decade-long revival of interest in soul sounds. 

"I never want people to hear my records and wonder if it's new or not," GRAMMY nominee Mayer Hawthorne told GRAMMY.com in 2023. "I’ll never do classic '70s Philly soul better than the Delfonics. Plenty of artists do regurgitation of something old, but I’m all about putting my new spin on it."

In addition to Hawthorne, Fool In Love's lineup includes L.A.-based singer Trish Toledo, San Diego sweet soul phenoms Thee Sacred Souls, singer/drummer Aaron Frazer and singer Durand Jones, who will appear solo and together as Durand Jones and the Indications. 

While some of the older acts may be missing original members (Kool and the Gang's George Brown, for example, passed in 2023; Henry Fambrough, the last original Spinner died in early 2024; Ruth Pointer is the only living Pointer Sister) or have feuding families, the legendary acts playing across Fool In Love's four stages are not to be missed.

Ahead of the Labor Day weekend show, cruise over to your favorite streaming service and enjoy this playlist of Fool In Love performers.

The first time Tink's name was on a lineup with Jhené Aiko, they were at Sacramento's R&B festival Sol Blume in 2022. Two years later, they're billed together again — this time, as tourmates.

Tink is one of four opening acts for Aiko's Magic Hour Tour, which also features Coi Leray, UMI and Kiana Ledé. As the 27-date trek begins winding down with its final stretch of shows (wrapping in Columbus, Ohio, on Aug. 22), Tink can't help but think about how "full-circle" the tour has felt.

"That was just a real manifestation," Tink tells GRAMMY.com, explaining that she's been "praying" for the opportunity since meeting Aiko at Sol Blume. "There's so many R&B girls that could have been in this position. The fact that she brought me on this tour speaks volumes."

Her slot on the sold-out tour signals Tink's growing appeal, and the all-female lineup is no coincidence for the singer. Tink's matter-of-fact storytelling and no-holds-barred approach is what made listeners gravitate toward her, especially women. Fans and critics alike praise Tink for her unwillingness to sugarcoat her emotions, particularly on her Thanks 4 Nothing album, and she continued it with her latest release, Winter's Diary 5, out now.

A long-awaited new installment of her Winter's Diary mixtape series, the project (which, this time, is a studio album) digs deep into her ongoing journey toward self-acceptance in the face of heartbreak and betrayal. From the fed-up lyrics of "Huh," to the sexually charged "Bless Me Don't Stress Me," to the deeply personal "Lows & Highs," Winter's Diary 5 sees Tink holding herself accountable for the failed relationships she sings so honestly about. 

"The past few years have been a lot of isolation, and I've had days where I had to lock myself in my room and kind of recoup and get myself right," Tink says. "This album is definitely for those moments when you have nothing to do but face your own thoughts and your reality."

Tink's music has always mirrored her own life, but the Winter's Diary narratives involve more introspection, bringing another level of rawness and vulnerability — as she said in a teaser for WD5, "things only a diary knows." As a result, the Winter's Diary series has largely been the reason for Tink's cult following.

Tink was just 16 when she made her debut with 2012's Winter's Diary, releasing iterations 2, 3 and 4 in 2014, 2015 and 2016, respectively. In between, the Chicago native made a name for herself as a rapper in the drill scene with mixtapes Alter Ego, Blunts & Ballads and Boss Up in 2012 and 2013. Early singles like "Finger's Up" and "Bad Girl" showcased her grit, while her viral hit "Treat Me Like Somebody" revealed her angelic singing voice and vulnerability. 

The string of acclaimed mixtapes earned a then 19-year-old Tink a deal with Timbaland's Mosley Music Group/Epic Records as well as a coveted spot in XXL's 2015 Freshman Class. That same year, her song "Million" (which samples Aaliyah's "One in a Million") whet fans' appetite for her debut album, Think Tink. The much-awaited project was slated for a July 2015 release before ultimately being shelved due to label issues.

By the end of 2017, Tink took matters into her own hands and reclaimed her narrative. She launched her own label — appropriately called Winter's Diary — in 2019 and hasn't looked back. 

Working independently has brought her greater success, pointing to her resilience, work ethic and prowess as an artist who stops at nothing to get what she wants. It has also sparked quite the creative streak: in those five years, Tink has released five studio albums, one EP and a mixtape.

"I was just really trying to make up for lost time — I want to make sure that I'm keeping my name in the streets and that my fans are fed," Tink says. "As an independent artist, I don't have to adhere to anyone but myself, and that's what's making [the music] feel authentic. What I'm trusting works for me, so the songs I enjoy and feel proud of, I get to push those out. That's the difference."

Now 29, she brings a level of maturity and wisdom with Winter's Diary 5 that can only be learned through trial and error. But even after navigating toxic relationships in the Summer Walker-featuring "Songs About U" and acknowledging her battle scars on "Insane," she ends the album with "Pretty Girls," a powerful self-worth anthem that confidently reminds, "Pretty girls don't beg/ Pretty girls bounce back/ Pretty girls don't trip/ Pretty girls run game/ Pretty girls don't slip." 

Whether or not she keeps adding to the Winter's Diary series, Tink is eager to continue growing her fan base and manifesting more big-name team-ups (she has her eye on Brent Faiyaz, SZA, and Drake next). Wherever her career goes from here, she'll always keep one thing on her mind: those who find the same solace in her music as she does.

"So many women and girls who listen to my music really need these lyrics… that's my reason and my purpose," Tink says. "I know my lane is for the girls going through it. I'm telling women's stories."

Aug. 7, 2024 was not just another Wednesday in Las Vegas. It was Ne-Yo Day.

No, really: Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman proclaimed that Aug. 7, 2024 was officially "Ne-Yo Day" in the city, presenting Ne-Yo with a Key to the City during his first night of his three-show Human Love Rebellion residency at the Encore Theatre at Wynn Las Vegas. 

It had already been a full-circle day for the R&B hitmaker, who grew up in Sin City and got his start in the entertainment business as an understudy in the David Cassidy-starring show "EFX." As a hometown boy, Ne-Yo knew there'd be at least a few familiar faces in the crowd — and that makes his Key to the City even more special.

"I've run into a lot of girls that were not interested in me in high school and, yes, it's a totally different story now," Ne-Yo tells GRAMMY.com with a smile. "There's a part of me that wants to be petty, but I can't do that. [But] when I run into those that were mean in high school, those are always fulfilling moments."

Ne-Yo's career has been full of fulfilling moments — beginning with his 2005 chart-topping smash "So Sick," and followed by two No. 1 albums, 12 Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, and three GRAMMY Awards. He celebrates it all with his 100-minute show, which features other favorites like "Because of You" and the diamond-certified Pitbull collab "Give Me Everything."

In June, he began his journey as an independent artist after nearly 20 years with Motown and Def Jam Records, releasing the confessional single "2 Million Secrets" alongside a "CSI"-inspired video he directed himself. With a fresh start, Ne-Yo says he rarely feels like he's already two decades into his career. 

"The only time it feels like it's been 20 years is right after a show where my back and my knees are bothering me," he says with a laugh. "If you don't see the age out here, I'm feeling it on the inside!"

Ahead of his Las Vegas residency, Ne-Yo sat down with GRAMMY.com to share his most memorable moments with some of his most beloved hits, from a hilarious wardrobe malfunction with "Because of You" to how Jay-Z helped save "Closer."

What instantly comes to mind with "So Sick" is my initial introduction to Stargate. I was at Sony Studios in New York City working with [another] group of producers. [I pass] Stargate's manager — his name is Tim, I met him before briefly. He said, "Hey, are you busy right now? I would love you to come in for a second and meet my producers."

So I walk with him over to the studio — mind you, he says they do R&B, they do hip-hop, they do a little bit of everything. And Tim is Black, so I'm expecting to walk in the room and see two Black guys. I walk in the room and they are absolutely not Black. They are two tall, lanky, white guys with accents. They're from Norway. And I'm like, These guys are gonna do some R&B music for me, huh?

The very first track they played was the music that we now know as "So Sick." I listened to it for like, 10 seconds, and I'm like, "Run it back." So they played it again, and by the time the song finished playing the second time, the song was written. I wrote that song in maybe 3 minutes.

It was a song that needed to be written for a long time. It just hadn't found the right backing music for it yet.

Here's the first time I realized that Stargate was producing around what I was writing. I wrote "Sexy Love" to the skeletal track they gave me, and then about a week later, I go to the studio and they're like, "You got to hear this." A beat comes on, and it's vaguely what I'd recalled, but completely different. They basically changed the whole beat based around [what] I wrote. So the "Sexy Love" we now know, that was not the original track.

I'm like, "I don't mind, because it sounds great, but why did y'all do that?" And they were like, "We just felt like this direction complemented the song more." They're the only producers that I've ever worked with that do that.

Nowadays, the producer is kind of a celebrity too. Everybody has a tag, and you hear the producer's name before the song starts. You'll never hear that from Stargate. They're like, "You're gonna listen to this song, and you're gonna love it so much that you're gonna ask who did it."

The part in the video where I don't have any shoes on — the performance piece — that was not by design. I don't remember who styled that video, but all the shoes they brought were too big. [They] were 11 1/2, I'm a size 10. But I couldn't do it barefoot, so I'm like, "Alright, let's just do it."

So I'm dancing, and then whoop! There goes one shoe. I look at the director, and he's like, "Just keep going!" So I kicked the other one off, and just continued doing what I was doing.

I've danced barefoot and in socks in the kitchen, you know, trying to moonwalk and all of that countless times as a kid. But I'd never done it as an adult. It was a bucket-list moment, scratched it off: performed with no shoes.

I wrote it with the intent of selling it to somebody who would make more sense with that style. We stayed overseas for damn near two years, just touring around. While I was over there, I started listening to a lot of house, techno, EDM. With a lot of those songs, there might be two words in the whole song just repeated over and over. But I'm paying more attention to what the music is doing to the people that are listening… Everybody goes nuts. These people are getting this kind of response with no words!

So I'm like, imagine if somebody took that energy and wrote a song over it that actually means something — it'd be double the effect, right?

Me and Stargate get in the studio. They start putting together the track, I write the song, it's done. We're listening back, and I'm like, "Yeah, we will be able to sell this easy." And they're like, "Sell it? No, no, this is yours." And I'm like, "Nah, I don't think my fan base is gonna understand that."

I let my management hear it, and they're like, "Yeah, this is yours." I let Jay-Z hear it, [and he's like] "Bro, this is the one!" I'm like, "What are y'all hearing? Because I don't get it."

I did not expect the song to do well. And for the first three, four months, it didn't. Here in the States, nobody was feeling it, to the point where we walked into the label one day with the total intention of telling L.A. Reid we should switch to another single. As we're walking to L.A. Reid's office, Jay-Z stops me and goes, "I know you about to tell him that you want to get off that record. Do not get off that record." And I'm like "Bro, it's been four months!"

That same year, we did the BET Awards. I performed "Closer," and the Jabbawockeez was a part of the show. After that performance, that song took off. My manager hits me with the "I told you so" every single time we think of "Closer."

"Miss Independent" was the first time I ever won a GRAMMY. I learned through winning a GRAMMY for that song that there are GRAMMY wins that are not televised.

I'm walking the red carpet, just soaking it all in, taking pictures, doing interviews, and as I'm talking to some interviewer, this girl blows by me and goes, "Congratulations, you just want a GRAMMY," and keeps walking.

So I go to my manager, I'm like, "Yo, um, did we win?" And he's like, "F—, who told you?" And I'm like, "I don't got my speech!" He's like, "You don't need a speech. You won for a category that's not televised, so you're not gonna get on stage."

It was kind of bittersweet, because I've been dreaming of a GRAMMY since childhood. I have my acceptance speech written already. I was gonna get up on stage and thank my mom, and do the whole thing, like, "Oh wow, this thing's heavy!"

I've won three GRAMMYs, and I've yet to walk across the GRAMMY stage and thank my mom. I might just do a Kanye. I might just walk up on stage when somebody else is accepting their GRAMMY and go, "Hey, congratulations, but while I'm here — um, yeah, never got to do this before, so" and just have somebody bring mine out and do it right then. I think that'd be a moment! And then I'd instantly get arrested and kicked out of the GRAMMYs and banned forever. [Laughs.]

We were in the U.K., Wembley Stadium, 80,000 people, me and Pitbull [for Capital FM's Summertime Ball in 2015]. Right at the part where it says, [sings] "Grab somebody sexy tell 'em hey," 80,000 people [are] jumping up and down at the same time. The whole place was shaking. It felt like electricity shooting through you, there was just so much energy coming at the stage. I literally felt sparks.

Pitbull felt it too. After the show, he was like, "Yo, right at the part where we went—" and I was like, "YO I know right! You felt it too?"

Me and Pitbull are actually really good friends. I met him before he became Mr. Worldwide and started wearing the suits and the whole nine. We've actually done a bunch of music together that the world has never heard. 

Pitbull is not your typical celebrity. From a guy who's having the success that he's having, you would expect an ego, a big, huge entourage, and a whole bunch of commotion around him. He doesn't club. He does the most amazing party music ever, and he doesn't go to regular clubs. Pitbull's definition of a club? He has his own island, and he'll just invite you to the island.

The song is about owning your s—. No one is perfect, no one is above making a mistake. But no one is beneath redemption, either. I absolutely made some mistakes in my previous marriage. And, you know, one thing that music has always been for me is therapy. If I have things that I couldn't say out of my mouth, I could write it in a song.

It took a little bit of growing up, maturing, for me to even write that song. For whatever reason, when you do something wrong and you know that you're wrong, my first instance was to place blame on anybody but myself. I quickly realized that that's not the way to heal, that's not the way to move on, that's not the way to receive redemption for what you have done. You have to own your mistakes… and then pray for redemption and acceptance of your apology from the people that you've wronged. 

Writing the song was very much therapeutic for me. I don't even call it a song. It's more of a confessional — it's me confessing to the wrongs that I did, and realizing that the best way to go about it is to get it out and then figure out how to move on. And that's exactly what me and my ex-wife have done. We moved on. We're in a great place now.